New drug for Stargardt disease to be trialled in the UK

Katairo, a biotechnology company based in Germany, together with a consortium of six EU partners, has been awarded £5m funding from the European Commission’s H2020 programme to perform a proof of concept clinical study of the drug, Remofuscin, for people with Stargardt disease.

Stargardt disease is an inherited condition that affects the macula, the specialised region of the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye (the retina) which is responsible for central vision. It causes progressive sight loss and there are currently no approved treatments available.

It is thought that Stargardt disease is associated with a build up of cellular debris called lipofuscin in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells. It is hoped that Remofuscin can help the removal of the debris from the RPE cells.

Working with its partners, including the University of Southampton, Katairo will test the safety and efficacy of Remofuscin.

Professor Lotery, of the University of Southampton, who has previously been funded by Fight for Sight, said: “There is no approved treatment available for Stargardt's, so we are very excited about the opportunity to test Remofuscin and offer patients the hope that we may be able to stop the progression of the condition.”

For more information on the status of the clinical trial visit the Katairo website.

Click here to read about the current research being funded by Fight for Sight into Stargardt disease.